Marcus Bhargava

As Head of the School of Education, Midwifery and Social Work, I lead a multidisciplinary team committed to delivering impactful professional education that equips students with the specialist knowledge and future skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. I hold strategic responsibility for our academic portfolio, research, knowledge exchange, people, and budget, ensuring our work aligns with Kingston University’s Town House Strategy and its mission to be a sought-after institution for students, staff, and partners.

My leadership is grounded in a commitment to inclusive, innovative, and ambitious education that prepares graduates to be adaptable, collaborative, and socially engaged professionals. Together with my School Management Group, I champion a culture of excellence and transformation – developing programmes that are responsive to professional needs, rooted in real-world practice, and designed to foster creativity, critical thinking, and civic responsibility.

I have worked in higher education since 2004, beginning as a lecturer in citizenship education at UCL Institute of Education. I subsequently held leadership roles at London Metropolitan University and Goldsmiths, University of London, before joining Kingston University in 2015 as Head of School of Education. In 2020, I founded the new School of Education, Midwifery and Social Work, bringing together diverse disciplines to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in professional education.

My academic work focuses on social transformation through education, with particular interests in the history of education, citizenship education, and curriculum innovation. I have contributed nationally to curriculum development as a member of the Citizenship subject expert panels for the 2008 and 2014 National Curriculum, and as project lead for the KS3 Exemplification of Citizenship Standards for the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency. I was a trustee of the Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT) between 2019 and 2025 including Chair of the Board from 2023-2025. I am now honorary past-chair of the Association and continue to be active in the subject's ongoing development, particularly in the light of the introduction of votes at 16.

I represent Kingston University on the University Alliance Education Leads Group, contributing to national dialogue on inclusive and progressive teacher education, and as a member of GuildHE and UUK's Teacher Education Advisory Group. I am a Trustee of the Coombe Academy Trust, where I chair the Educational Standards Committee.

I am currently undertaking doctoral research at the University of Birmingham, where I am pursuing a PhD in Education under the primary supervision of Professor Jane Martin. My thesis, Pluralism, Professionalism and Pedagogy: The Schools Council and Teachers, 1964–1984, explores the historical interplay between political pluralism, educational policy, teacher professionalism, and curriculum development during a pivotal period of reform in England. This work aligns with my broader academic interest in the role of education in social transformation and the historical foundations of contemporary educational policy and practice.

In all aspects of my work, I am committed to Kingston University’s values – inclusive, innovative, ambitious and enterprising – and to advancing our shared vision of a university that enhances life chances, supports staff ambitions, and strengthens our impact on society.

• MA, History of Education (with Distinction), Institute of Education, University of London (2011)
• PgCert, Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (with Distinction), London Metropolitan University (2009)
• PGCE History (with QTS), Institute of Education, University of London (1999)
• BA (Hons) History, University College London (1997)
• Certification, Teaching and Learning in Citizenship Education, DfES and Institute of Education (2006)
• Facilitator Diploma, UK Secretariat for the European Pedagogical ICT Licence (2012)
• Apple Teacher (2019)
• Safer Recruitment (2022)